Overnight at Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel

Light Sleeper

Staying overnight at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse is great any time of the year, but go in the next few weeks and get a big bonus: gray whales swimming right outside your door. The Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel is one of only a few accommodations on this stretch of the coast. The four guesthouses, salty and weathered with white and blue trim (don't mind the flaking paint), each have a private room, and are ideally situated next to the old lighthouse built in 1872. The best vantage point for spotting grays is a short stroll away on a boardwalk overlook. Volunteer docents can be found here most weekends, lending binoculars and dishing information on the whales and shipwreck lore. Or walk a few minutes in the opposite direction down to Whalers Cove, a fine little beach recently saved by POST (Peninsula Open Space Trust). What else is sweet about this spot? Guests have access to a secluded hot tub perched above the bluffs facing the ocean. Jacuzzi jets and whale watching—hot combo!

BONUS: Nearby Butano State Park is a little-used hiking wonderland. Check out this 5-mile loop hike through redwood trees and fern canyons up to panoramic ridge views.